A stop sign is a traffic sign to notify drivers that they must come to a complete stop and make sure no other vehicles are coming before proceeding. Stop signs are mainly used to control the traffic at intersections that are not busy enough to justify the installation of a traffic signal. Generally, the stop sign is not intended for use as a traffic calming device; it is intended to be installed mainly for safety and/or to assign right-of way for a certain direction. Stop signs are commonly deployed as safety measures in residential areas and near schools, making extra precautions necessary. Stop signs are usually erected on all intersecting roads, resulting in three-way or four-way stops. Currently, the effectiveness of stop signs depends solely on the reaction of the drivers driving the vehicles. A driver is supposed to stop at the stop sign and look around to see whether he/she can move ahead, depending on the traffic at the intersection.
Further, the drivers on each branch of the intersection need to manually decide amongst themselves about whose turn is it to cross the intersection. So, the effective implementation of the stop signs and road safety at stop signs is mainly in the hands of the drivers and is seriously affected by the attention and driving skills of the drivers.
Presently, Autonomous Vehicles or vehicles that drive themselves are being tested and are in limited production. In the future, these autonomous vehicles will take over our highways. Advanced Sensors, Artificial Intelligence, Neural Networks, Deep Learning and Advanced Communications Links make all this possible. Vehicles are being provided with the latest computer and sensor technology that allows them to drive themselves. The currently available stop signs will not be successful with the upcoming autonomous vehicles or self-driven vehicles. As in self-driven vehicles, the vehicle is not driven by a human, these vehicles cannot rely on the human judgment to follow traffic rules at stop signs. To make a self-driven vehicle intelligent enough to deal with stop signs will add a lot of complexity to self-driven vehicles, requiring complex hardware and software support. Further, the chances of an accident may increase, as each vehicle may behave differently based on the hardware and software employed within the vehicle. Also, some intersections are busier than others, and a same intersection may be busier at certain peak traffic hours. Currently available stop signs do not consider the dynamic traffic variation at the intersections, thus causing long traffic lines during peak traffic hours. This may lead to fuel waste in the vehicles, as well as increasing the air pollution caused by the vehicles.